Crock Pot Sundays...

There is nothing better than having dinner simmering in the crock pot on a cool, sunny Sunday.  M was in Florida for 5 days and came home today!  It is always hard when he travels.  He does so much for me and our daughters.  I am so lucky to have a husband who is such an amazing, hands-on Dad.  He works so hard.  He had a great time with his dad, brother and other friends/clients.  He deserves a break just like me! 

Anyhow - I knew today was going to be sort of a long day.  It was day 5 of being by myself.  I was starting to get a lil stir crazy.  I took the girls to the mall in the morning for a couple of hours.  Before we left, I threw some pork tenderloin (one of my most favorite clean meats) in the crock pot.  Tidied up the house a little and off we went. 

When we came home, A napped and M watched Toy Story 2.  The house smelled so yummy!  I did some laundry and prepped the rest of dinner.  M was due home around 4.  And this is what we had for dinner tonight....

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
• sea salt and pepper
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot
• 1 tablespoon cold water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Before I put anything in my crock pot, I always put a little bit of olive oil on the bottom to reduce cleanup and stickiness.  Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, agave nectar, vinegar, and thyme; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

 

Roasted Vegetables and Sauteed Spinach:

 

Anytime I roast veggies (which is a lot) I clean the vegetables thoroughly.  Cut the vegetable into 2-3 inch piece, toss in olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Place the veggies in a roasting pan in the oven uncovered.  Depending on what veggies you are roasting depends on how long you should roast them.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees and roast away!  I roasted carrots, parsnips and broccoli.

 

Sauteed spinach is one of the easiest and most delicious side dishes to make.  One thing to remember is spinach leaves, when cooked, reduce quite a bit.  It may look like a huge portion when you toss the spinach into the pan, but once it cooks down, you will wonder where it all went!  So I always make extra.  Simply chop some fresh garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Once the garlic starts to cook (be careful not to burn it, burnt garlic is not good) add the spinach.  Spinach is incredibly good for you.  You should have large amounts of dark, leafy vegetables in your diet every day!

Sauteed Spinach - Delicious!

 

Pork Tenderloin in Crock Pot

Finished Product

 

Fall = Pumpkin Bread

A couple years ago, my dear friend Ellen gave me a great recipe for Pumpkin Bread.  I made it the past two years.  This year I decided to "clean it up."  It is easy to make and the clean version actually, but not surprisingly, tastes better!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups canned pumpkin (I buy Libby's brand, it is 100% pumpkin, therefore 100% clean)
3 cups sugar (I used Turbinado sugar)
1 cup veg oil
1 cup water
4 eggs (organic, free range of course)
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cloves



 INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350.  In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, eggs, water and veg oil.  Beat until well mixed (I use a hand mixer).

2. Measure flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and ground cloves in a separate bowl, then stir to combine.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.  Blend until smooth.

3. Grease four, 8x2x3 loaf pans (I buy the aluminum, disposable ones at the grocery store) and dust them with flour.  Evenly divide the batter between the pans.  Fill up about 2/3 of the way.  Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick comes out of loaf clean.  Cool out of pan on counter top for 10-15 minutes.

(I double this recipe and make as many loaves as I can.  I give some of the loaves away and freeze some for later!  The bread is delicious even after being frozen.)

Clean Ingredients

Batter...Yum!

M was "snack girl" at preschool this week.  I made "clean" pumpking muffins.  The kids loved them!

This is my favorite picture.  You could eat the bread off the screen!  It really does taste as good as it looks!

Shopping List...

I will continue to update this list but I wanted to get some staples that you should have in your pantry/fridge when eating clean.  Forgive me for not being very organized!  I will work on that!

Agave Nectar (use in place of sugar EVERYWHERE!)
Ground Flax Seed
Organic Whey Protein Powder
Bison (ground, cuts of meat, etc)
Turkey (ground, lunch meat, etc)
Fish
Whole wheat/grain bread, pasta and rice
Soba (buckwheat) Noodles
Organic OJ
Organic Lime/Lemon Juice
Limes/Lemons
Quinoa
Greek Yogurt
Beets
Nonfat Cottage Cheese
Low Fat Cheese
Frozen Organic Fruit
Bananas
Raw, Organic Nut Butters (PB, Almond)
Ezekiel Bread
Lara Bars
Fresh Spinach
Garlic
Muesli
Raw Honey
100% Cranberry Juice
100% Pomegranate Juice

Detox Water - By Jillian Michaels

After I had my second baby (3/30/09), I felt better than I did after having my first.  My recovery was easier and I knew that we were going to wait to have another baby for at least two years.  This meant I wanted to get fit and start feeling good about myself again.  Because when you are carrying 50 extra pounds with a pregnancy, you tend to feel chubby, unsexy and well just blah.  My friends from BabyCenter recommended something called The 30 Day Shred.  I started it and that is what catapulted me into this getting fit frenzy and eating right frenzy!  I saw results immediately!  I also fell in love with Jillian Michaels.  She is a bad ass!  More on her and The 30 Day Shred later.

Here is her recipe for Detox Water. It helps with digestion and detoxification, which are two important things for people who are trying to lose weight:

INGREDIENTS:

1 gallon of water (not purified because it usually has potassium sorbate in it)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cranberry juice (100% cranberries, nothing else)
2 Dandelion Root tea bags

Mix ingredients together and shake well.  Keep in the fridge and drink it all day (this is what I drink when I am at the gym).

The Clean Eating Principles

From Clean Eating Magazine (May/June 2010, p. 10) 

The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible.  It is not a diet; it's a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life - one meal at a time.

1.  Eat five to six times a day - three meals and two to three small snacks, include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal.  This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.

2.  Drink at least two liters of water a day.

3.  Get label savvy.  Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients.  Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.

4.  Avoid processed and refined foods.  Such as white flour, sugar, bread and pasta.  Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.

5.  Know thy enemies.  Steer clear of anything high in saturated  and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.

6.  Shop with a conscience.  Consume humanely raised and local meats.

7.  Consume healthy fats (EFAs) everyday.

8.  Learn about portion sizes and eat within them.

9.  Reduce your carbon footprint.  Eat produce that is seasonal and local.  It is less taxing on your wallet and our environment.

10.  Drink glass with a lemon wedge.  A glass of red wine for a special occasion is OK but it should be a rare indulgence (I do not agree with this :) )

11.  Slow down and savor.  Never rush through a meal.  Food tastes best when savored.  Enjoy every bite.

12.  Take it to go.  Pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go.

13.  Make it a family affair.  Food is a social glue that should be shared with loved ones.  Improve the quality of your family's life along with your own.

Breakfast

Good morning!  My kids go to bed early and that means my hubby and I go to bed early too.  But last night I was determined to get some items posted on here so I was up late - 11:30!  Thank goodness my girls slept in (8 am).  This morning I am eating Strawberry/Honey Greek Yogurt with Muesli.  I already drank my 500 ml of water and I am sipping on my favorite - Hazelnut coffee from my Keurig.  I go to the gym around 10:30 am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  Before I work out, I usually have a Lara Bar and a banana or an apple (this is usually in the car while running around crazily).  And of course, drink lots and lots of detox water.  I will post about the detox drink later.

Can't forget...



My First "Babies" - Kreider and Cargo our Australian Cattle Dogs

...to mention our first "kids."  First comes love, then comes marriage, then come...a dog, right?!  In our case, it was two dogs, and no, it wasn't planned that way.  More on that later!  Say hello to Kreider and Cargo.  They just turned 5 on 9/18/2010!

HERE WE GO STEELERS!



Love ya Black and Gold!

 Who would have thought we would be 5-1 to start this season?  With all the drama with Big Ben and not having him the first four games, we are playing pretty well!  My husband and I and my brother and future sister-in-law go to every Steeler game together!  We pick them up at 9 am on Steeler Sunday morning and we are off to the tailgate with our friends and family.  I will be adding a tailgate post with clean recipes soon!

Not 100% Clean, but pretty close and pretty darn tasty! This is a staple in our home.

100% Delish

Voile!  Grilled Halibut with Banana Black Bean Salad

Mmmm...smells divine!

Halibut with Sea Salt, Fresh Ground Black Pepper and Chile Powder






Banana Black Bean Salad




Fresh, Clean, Organic Ingredients



Dinner Course - Grilled Halibut (or any white fish) with Banana Black Bean Salad

 From Clean Eating Magazine (May/June 2010, pp 64-65)

Serves 4, Makes 4 cups Banana Black Bean Salad
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

The bananas give this dish a tropical flavor to this low-fat, high in fiber bean salad.  And if you like a little spice, the jalapenos, depending on the heat level, add a great kick!  I have made this dish several times and it just keeps getting better.  My husband (who is a clean eating convert) gobbles this up.  It is light, very, very flavorful and filling.  I almost always double my recipes for leftovers.  I love to cook, but not every night!  Leftovers give mom a chance to take the night off and enjoy a quick prep for dinner the next night.

NUTRITIONAL BONUS:
This lean-protein, high-fiber meal provides nearly 1/3 of your daily requirement of potassium.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp black beans (I use cans of organic black beans and just rinse and clean them)
• 2 semi-firm bananas (some green still showing) peeled and chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 small jalapenos peppers, seeded and chopped
• Juice 1 lime
• 2/3 packed cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp chile powder, divided
• Olive oil for coating grill (about 1 tbsp) or olive oil cooking spray for skillet
• 6, 6 oz halibut fillets
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, bananas, onion, jalapenos, lime juice, cilantro and 1 tbsp chile powder.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and light oil rack (to keep fish from sticking).  Or, coat a large skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat.  Season fish with chile powder, salt and black pepper.  Cook fish until lightly browned and opaque in center, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
3. To serve, place piece of fish with salad over top.  I usually make Quinoa as a side with this meal.

FINALLY!

So here I am.  Figuring out to get this blog going.  I have wanted to do this for a long time.  But as usual life gets in the way and I have not had time.  But tonight I made a delicious "clean" meal and it insprired me to bring my fingers to the keyboard and finally DO IT!  I am so excited!